"Out of all the shit I've said to you today, that's what you're surprised by? Oh wait, you weren't listening to me 90% of the time. But, yeah, I know Cal. Lil' gangsta orange puppet with the creepy eyes, likes high-fives? Trust me, I know Cal even better than I ever wanted to."

"You've got a place to go when everything's said and done. That offer's not going away. You don't have to decide now. I'm gonna go get your shades."

He leaped off of the side of the building, going into a perfect parkour roll just in time to avoid any damage from the fall. He grinned up at the miniature copy of his brother, popped his headphones in, and strode off down the road with a new pep in his step.

Dirk glared at his retreating form before retreating himself, back into the belly of the beast.

That was months ago. Since then Dave Strider firmly wormed his way into Dirk's life. He visited the roof and Dirk's windowsill frequently, and usually with gifts. Every time Dirk saw him, he made the same promise "I'll take care of you when they boot you to the curb" and at some point, Dirk started believing him.

All of Dirk's belongings fit into a duffle bag and backpack. It was barely anything. Clothes, a piece of shit computer he had salvaged from a dumpster and rebuilt, a knit blanket he had gotten from one of his nicer homes and Cal. He held Cal in the crook of his arm as he stood in front of the building, under the awning to protect the two of them from the rain.

"Stupid, shitty, fucking rain." Dave ranted quietly to himself as he trudged down the street, bundled up against what was, to him, frigid cold. He'd grown up in Texas all his life, after all, and Texas winter was still fucking winter as far as he was concerned. If it got even colder in other parts of the country, he wasn't interested in finding out.

He had one ginormous umbrella that he was counting on to keep him and the kid he was going to pick up out of the shitty rain, but the wind kept trying to rip it out of his hands. By the time he actually got to the apartment complex, he was wet, cold, and grumpy.

Dirk glanced at Dave before looking back up at the sky. Cal's gaze seemed to be aimed right at him, however, judging him. "Didn't think you'd come" Dirk mumbled. "I've been out here since this morning."

He huddled under the awning for a moment, producing a windbreaker from the bag he had around his shoulder. He shook it out and handed it to Dirk before rummaging around in the bag again. "Where the fuck... There it is."

He came up with another windbreaker, this one sized for a large toddler. "I thought Cal might need one, too."

Dirk looked at the jackets, his lips twitching slightly, before accepting them. He put Cal's on him first, then let the puppet cling to his neck as he pulled his own on. "This is all I have. All that's really mine anyway" he stated, gesturing the backpack and small dufflebag at his side.

"We'll fix that, soon enough. There's dinner waiting at home, so let's start hoofin' it. Here, take the umbrella. I'm already soaked, anyway." He held out the unwieldy, safety orange thing. It was entirely possible that he'd bought it specifically for this occasion.

"You have a point. I just don't want you gettin' wet and winding up with a cold. I mean, I can carry your shit for you, dude. I didn't expect you to carry everything you own all the way to my place. But whether or not you use the umbrella is up to you."

"Ten minutes' walk if we hurry. So let's get moving and get you home, a'ight?" He ruffled Dirk's damp hair before reaching down to pick up the duffel bag. He set off in the direction of home, only glancing over his shoulder once to make sure Dirk was following.

Dirk followed quickly, the umbrella in one hand, Cal in the other. He hoped he could make it, he hadn't been lying when he said that he hadn't slept the night before. He had spent the night packing after his foster parents had told him that he was to be gone as soon as the sun was up and he wasn't their problem anymore.

He failed to fight back a yawn. "So, what's your place like?" he asked, trying to focus on something to keep him awake.

"Eh, not huge. I mean, it's a house, not an apartment, but it's only two bedrooms. It's got a roof space, though, with a fence around it so no one can see up there. The yard has a fence, too. I like my privacy, and I'm sure you do, too."

"Everything in your room is clean and pristine until you decide to make it otherwise. I made sure. If you need stuff to decorate and make it feel, y'know, more home-y, we can pick up anything you want."

"Bed's all I care about right now" Dirk admitted. "Well, that and if the door has a lock on it." He yawned widely, fighting the urge to stretch his arms and get drenched from moving the umbrella too far.

" 'Course it does. If I need to get in, like in an emergency or something, a lock won't keep me out, but It's a pretty clear sign for when a person wants their privacy. And I like when things are straightforward." They rounded a corner and Dave pointed up ahead. "That's us up there. The short, reddish house with the stone facade."